St. Mark the Evangelist (1st c.) was born to Jewish parents living in Libya in North Africa, later settling in Cana of Galilee not far from Jerusalem. Mark became one of the 70 disciples of Jesus and the author of the Gospel that bears his name. According to tradition, St. Peter the Apostle was married to a relative of St. Mark's father, and after Mark's father died, Peter looked after...

The passion narratives of the Gospels mention several different women present at the crucifixion of Jesus. The same women seem to have gone to the tomb of Jesus on the morning of the resurrection. All of them seem to have the name Mary. They include Mary Magdalen, Mary the wife of Cleopas and mother of James and Joseph, Mary Salome, and Mary the mother of Jesus. On April 24, we remember two of...

Known as the Apostle of Prussia, St. Adalbert was born into a noble family in Bohemia. He was named the bishop of Prague in 982 where his efforts to reform the clergy earned him many enemies. He was released from his episcopal duties and retired to a Benedictine monastery in Rome. However, Duke Boleslav I of Prague and the citizens of Prague petitioned the pope for Adalbert’s return to...

Pope St. Soter (d. 174 A.D.) was born in Fondi, Italy. Nothing is known of his early life. He served as the 12th Bishop of Rome from from c.167 to 175 A.D. He was praised for his fatherly tenderness in comforting, both with words and generous alms, those who suffered for their Catholic faith, especiallly remote Christian churches living in poverty. He is said to have written an encyclical...

St. Anselm (1033–1109) was born into a noble family in the Lombardy region of Italy. The example of his pious mother led him to great faith, and he sought to enter the monastery at age 15. However, the abbot refused him due to Anselm's stern father. After his mother's death Anselm left home and settled in Normandy to study under the direction of a famed monk named Lanfranc. Upon...